Voters Rights International has
called for the postponement of the November 18 Anambra election, warning that
the faceoff between the Nigerian Army and the Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB) could jeopardize a successful conduct.
Voters Rights International
president, Barrister Jezie Ekejiuba, said this in reaction to a statement by
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC) in Anambra State, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji penultimate Thursday
at Awka.
Addressing the participants, Dr.
Orji said that some of the challenges that may affect the election process
include the pro-Biafra agitators, general discontentment in the SouthEast
region and security challenges in the region which might rub off in the
electoral process.
He also listed other challenges already
affecting the job of the commission to include meagre funding, erratic power
supply, policy delay and discontentment on the part of voters.
Responding, VRI said it does
not see how the commission will do any magic to overcome challenges identified
by the commission in less than two months time.
It said: “Apart from the above
INEC’s identified challenges to the poll, we recall the earlier threats posed
to the poll as reported in the media including the boasts by Indigenous People
of Biafra (IPOB) that it would stop the poll unless there was a referendum on
Biafra before the conduct of the poll and the legal challenge by the pending
Supreme Court case in Appeal No. SC.671/2016 INEC V. Barrister Jezie Ekejiuba
and Anor in which the activist lawyer had already warned the commission that he
would file an interlocutory application for an injunction to stop the
commission from conducting the Anambra governorship election for excluding
formerly deregistered political parties as alluded to by Dr. Orji in his above
statement.
”On the heels of these
dangerous challenges comes the recent declaration of IPOB as a terrorist
organization by the Nigerian Military and proscription of IPOB by the SouthEast
Governors which to all intents and purposes are like pouring fuel to raging
fire rather than following the part of peaceful dialogue.
”It is against the backdrop of
these unwholesome insecurity challenges and emergencies that we hereby call on
the commission to stop spending the available meager funding on the Anambra
governorship election that is doomed to be postponed based on the overwhelming
evidence on the ground.
“We also call on the commission
to as a matter of law and security postpone the Anambra governorship election
over the lingering SouthEast Army/IPOB insecurity crisis caused by the recent
invasion of the SouthEast region by the Nigerian Military tagged Operation
Python Dance II (Egwu Eke II) which began on September 15, 2017.
”Section 26(1) of the Electoral
Act 2010 as amended clearly provided for postponement of election thus: “Where
a date has been appointed for the holding of an election, and there is reason
to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the
election is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the
elections as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies, the Commission
may postpone the election and shall in respect of the area or areas concerned
appoint another date for the holding of the postponed election provided that
such reason for the postponement is cogent and verifiable”.
”We consider what is happening
in the SouthEast region (including Anambra State) today as constituting as
“other emergencies” and “cogent and verifiable reason” as provided in the above
quoted provision of the Electoral Act enough for INEC as a responsible
electoral body to follow to avert loss of lives of voters during the election.
“INEC therefore must urgently
heed this clarion call to postpone the Anambra governorship election to a later
date conducive enough for voters to come out and vote without any fear and
devoid of military invasion, otherwise called Operation Python Dance II.”
Meanwhile, IPOB has accused
the Nigerian government and military of withholding details on the whereabouts
of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
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